During a patient's stay in a hospital, the patient is normally confined to his or her hospital bed for at least some period of time. This is also true for patients in long term care facilities. Some of these patients have to stay in their beds for long periods of time without any physical movement. Patients having limited mobility often suffer from soreness, muscle atrophy and other problems arising from lack of movement. This is a common and sometime serious issue for these patients. Immobility can lead to complications causing serious illness and disability. However, for patients on bed rest or those with conditions that prevent them from being able to get up and/or walk, there are limited options for movement. This is particularly true since currently used hospital beds and mattresses offer very few options for moving different parts of the body.
For a patient that is confined to his or her bed, all of the care functions provided by attending physicians, nurses and the like have to be provided to the patient as he or she resides on the hospital bed. It is often very difficult for nurses or care takers to properly care for such individuals. For example, changing clothes or giving a bath to a person that has to lie in a bed and cannot move can be very complicated.
Additionally, when a patient is lying in his/her bed, they are confined within a limited boundary. This can be both inconvenient and mentally challenging. Moreover, the fear of falling may prevent the patient from using some of their abilities.
Therefore, a need exists for a solution for providing a comfortable, easily foldable, portable, and adjustable mattress for long-term patients.